News Date: Thursday 22nd May 2008
Tim hosts the Dalai Lama in Westminster
Tim helped to host the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Westminster on Wednesday, as a long standing member of the All Party Parliamentary Tibet Group.
After a session with Conservative Leader David Cameron and Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague, Tim took the Dalai Lama and his entourage to a discussion with members of the Commons and Lords about the current situation in Tibet and relations with China. When asked specifically about problems over the succession to the Dalai Lama given that Dalai Lamas are usually selected by reincarnation from within Tibet His Holiness said that he expected to be around for a long time and to live longer than the Chinese Communist party. On Thursday 22 May the Dalai Lame gave evidence at Westminster to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
Tim commented:
"It was a great honour to meet the Dalai Lama again at Westminster and to hear his well reasoned and balanced words of wisdom about the future of Tibet and the current problems with China. What has been going on in Tibet for the last 50 years since the invasion by China is a tragedy and an appalling abuse of human rights and oppression of a free nation and peace loving people to determine their own destiny. The current focus on the Beijing Olympics is an important opportunity to turn the attention of the world on to the fate of this nation and put pressure on China to recognise the need for real autonomy and freedom of expression."
